Device for controlling headlights



I. C. BROWN AND T. HiLLE.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING HEADLIGHTS.

APPLlCn xON FILED [HEB-1,1921.

1 40 9 66 1 v Pnimlted Man. 14, 1922.

I/v va/vroRs M IRWIN C. BROW/V.

THOMAS /L//LLE. M i GL M A T TOR/v5 rs 25' driver. Vie accomplish the objects @FFiilE.

siru'wsso'rs.

nsvics s02. cois'mormse 1'0 wiiom may concern.

Be it known that We, IRWIN (1. srul THQMAS; HILLE, citizens of the Ssics, at Minneapolis,

BROWN United the 5 county of .ri eiincpin, State of lviiiunesota, and at ergus Falls in the county oi ltter Tail and State of innesota, respec-"Lively, have invented ceriain new and useful improvements in Devices for Controlling loiwiescllights, of which the following is a @ur invention relates to devices for corp trolliri headlights, and an oo3ect is to provide a device which Will cause the rays 01'? ligh; to strike the ground a lesser or greater distance in from: the vehicle according to the speed 'hich it is being run. Another object is to provide a device. which obviates the nccssiiay or desirability of providing dimmers or special lenses for subduirig the light emanating from automobile headl ghts. Anocher ohject is to provide a device of this character which will operate automatically and ihus "not require the attention of the our invention h provicing a device which insures that t e rays of light shall be thrown upon the road e short clisiance in front of the 'suiomohile when running slowly, and

she; they shsii be thrown upon the road a greater distance in front of the automobile for foster speeds.

The full objects and advantages of our in-' vention will appear in connection with the (lei-{died clcscription, and the novel features embodied in our inventive ideav Wlll be perticulsrly pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawm s which 11- iustrate she princlple of our invention in one .45 of governor which ma be used.

Referring to the em odiment of our invention shown 1n the drawings, the numersls 10 and 12 cleslgnate a pair of headlights which are secured to the ends of a shaft l'm ountecl so in hearings at the upper ends of brackets 16 18 secured to the frame of the automobile so that the headlights are mounted for oscillating movement in vertical planes a short distance in front of the'c'ustomary radiator R. Secured to the shaft 14 atsny suitable place, for instance. ecljr headlights, is an arm 90 to which is pivoted :1 rod s e in an opening in the upper end or governor ffl-Slfigl secured lo the from; of t. e automobile. A spring 26 is interposeo oetvreei the top of the casing 1 rod.

in opposition to the tension hv She v Y 2 spring so which under norm 1 COEldll'iQILS holds She rocl u'owarc is. The 0th 9 encl of the shaft 28 is adapted to he drives in suitslole manner frcin member of the automobile which tes 9. p oporeionate speed the vehicle is traveling. in the embodiment show; wait is provides with a iven wheel around which an endless fiesibie element i-ir also running around a driving wheel is secured for oper: .ion in connection with the transmission &8, but is is obvious the shaft 28 may he .co i 7 operation with. any f part of the automobile.

operaion and scivuniages of our invention will he obvious from the foregoing descripaion. The glare of headiighis which is universally r very dangerous to oucomir vehicies positiv l5. prevent-ed when she outomohii lowed c1 storm sry iv hen messing omer vehichas. At ihe same time the iighi; is thrown upon the road a sufficient distance in front me automobile to make driving ssiie, and the full force of the iigh is obtaineil ahead of ihe'" vehicle Without cutting ofi any of it. by the use or" \iimmers or in other masher. As the speed of uutomohiie is iricresserl, the distance in front the automobile at which the rays strike the road is correspondingly increased, a condition which is extremely desirable in order Loincrease the safety at which automobiles may be driven at sigh speed at nighc.

sis

We claim: 1.,\ device for controlling headlights comprising means 'for supporting a headlight on avehicle for oscillation in a vertical plane, a goi'ernorbmounted on the vehicle, connections between the headlight and said governor, and means for operating said governor to an extent uniformly proportionate to the speed of the vehicle for automatically rocking the headlight upwardly as the speed of the vehicle increases.

2. A device for controlling headlights comprising a horizontal shaft oscillatingly mounted on the vehicle, a headlight secured IRWIN CHARLES BROWN. THOMAS HILLE. 

